The department said the country's health secretary made the announcement to improve the response to the outbreak and to enable "local government units to use their Quick Response Fund to address the epidemic situation."

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease. It can cause nausea, vomiting, a high fever and joint pain.

Starting Tuesday, the department said it's conducting a campaign to focus on finding and destroying mosquito breeding sites with the help of other government agencies, schools and communities. It said this is one of the primary ways to prevent and control dengue.